Charles "Chuck" O. Telford

Rock Rapids, IA      Charles O. Telford age 87 of Rock Rapids, IA died Friday, April 6, 2018 at the Rock Rapids Health Centre in Rock Rapids, IA.          Funeral service will be 10:30 AM, Thursday, April 19th at Christian Church (Disciples) of Rock Rapids, IA, with Rev. Carolyn Salberg officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery of Rock Rapids.          Visitation will be Wednesday, April 18th from 4:00 to 8:00 PM, with family present from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Jurrens Funeral Home of Rock Rapids.      In lieu of flowers memorial may be directed to: Sanford Hospice and/or Rapids Theatre Preservation Society.      Charles Orville Telford was born in Emmetsburg, Iowa on June 4, 1930. He lived there for 10 years. His mother, Helen, was a nurse who worked for a family in Bethany, Missouri, so Charles lived with friends in Emmetsburg who had two boys nearly the same age. In 1940, Helen married Willard McLaughlin and the family moved to Ash Creek, Minnesota where Charles (Chuck) attended what he called "Ash Creek Tech" school. Soon they moved into Rock Rapids, where his mother worked at the Vander Wilt Hospital.      In the mid-40s, during WWII, the family moved to Bremerton, Washington where Willard worked in the shipyard as a welder on Navy ships. They were there until 1945 when they moved back to Rock Rapids. Chuck was very active during his high school years. He played football and ran in track. He was in both band and vocal groups and was Senior Class president in 1947-48. He held an after-school job at the Wolf & Bernstein clothing store.      In 1946, he married Jacqueline Doty and continued going to school and working part-time. He graduated from Rock Rapids High School in 1948, and immediately found a job with Rasmussen Tin shop as a furnace installer and repair man. He worked there until 1962, when he and Wilmer DeRoo started their own business, Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. A few years later, Chuck bought Wilmer's share to become full owner. The business continues today, owned by his grandson, Rob Telford.      Chuck & Jacqueline had two children, a daughter, Michele and a son, Robert. Chuck was active in community affairs being a member of the Rock Rapids Fire Department from 1957 to 1978, an Emergency Medical Technician and Emergency Rescue Techician on the Rock Rapids Ambulance crew from 1972 to 1984. Along with Elmer De Buhr, Chuck taught classes of EMT's and ERT's all over the 4-county area and also at the state level. He was a faithful member of the Christian Church (Disciples), holding the positions of Deacon, Church Board Chairman, Elder and Trustee for many years. Chuck's rich bass voice was heard many times over the years. He sang at several weddings, many funerals and also as a member of River Valley Players theater group. He especially enjoyed singing with three friends in the Ecumen quartette. His appreciation of classical music was cultivated by attending many orchestral concerts in which his wife, Jacqueline, played violin. In 1979 Chuck and his wife became active bicyclists. They began going on RAGBRAI, the bike ride across Iowa, in that year and continued this for 20 years, riding their bikes 100% of the way. He was active in his business until January of 2010, when he had a stroke that made him slow down. Since then various health problems have caused his decline and he became a resident of the Rock Rapids Health Center in December of 2013.      Survivors include his wife, Jacqueline, daughter Michele and her husband Dick Benesh of Brodhead, WI, five grandchildren: Jeff (Allison) Riter of Prairie du Chien, WI, Chad (Cindy) Riter of Waupun, WI, Aimee (Brian) Fish of Brodhead, WI, Robert (Mandy) Telford, Rock Rapids, IA and Terrie (Josh) Crowell of Rolla, MO: eleven great-grandchildren, Brogan, Bailie and Ben Riter: Hunter and Connor Riter: Anna and Kirsten Fish: Seth and Kole Telford , Isabelle and Carter Crowell, .He was preceded in death by his parents, Helen McLaughlin and Orville Telford, son Robert Lloyd, mother-in-law Doris Doty De Foor and ½ sister Barb Ernst.